Now that I’ve been reviewing cars for a while now, I can generally get a pretty good feel for each model after just a short drive. However, to really be sure that my first impressions are valid, I need more time in the vehicle and need to drive it in various circumstances.
A while back, I was able to test-drive the 2015 Kia Sedona during its media launch event. Based on that one-day ride, I was impressed by many of the features and the fantastic handling. But how would my opinion of it far after driving it for a week? Read on to find out 🙂
2015 Kia Sedona – Day Trip to San Francisco
It’s always fun to play tourist in your own town. Recently, my family and I decided to spend a day in San Francisco to scope out some new places to visit. We loaded up our supplies in the 2015 Kia Sedona, strapped Speckles in, and headed off for the city. I love that my small purse fit right in the middle console.
One-week vehicle loan was provided for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
We were all comfortable during our trip. Speckles was loving the extended leg rest and Munchkin had plenty of room to sprawl out. The 360 camera view made it easy to get in and out of those tight San Francisco parking spaces. We loved that the Sedona hugged the curvy roads to Twin Peaks and took the inclines around Lands Ends like a boss.
2015 Kia Sedona – Loaded with Passengers
Another day we drove around town with some friends. One of them unloaded everything in his hands and pockets into the many cubbyholes in the second row. It was pretty funny how he was able to find so many places to put his phone, keys, wallet, glasses, etc. He really needs to carry around purse 😛
While I love the captains’ seats in the second row, we noticed that there are some issues with using them. First of all, there are so many levers on the side! Every time we needed to pull the seat forward, we ended up releasing the leg rest. When we tried to move the seat toward the door, we’d accidentally drop the back down. It was always a struggle trying to figure out which lever did what.
Getting in and out of the second row is a breeze but doing so from the third row was a bit more challenging. The space between the captains’ seats was pretty narrow and even skinny passengers had a tough time getting by. Munchkin had to contort herself to get back there. Being able to move the seats apart is an option but you have to move them back if you want to recline at all.
If you’re using the third row often, I’d definitely recommend looking into the second row bench (versus the optional lounge seats) instead. You can even remove the middle seat for convenience. There’s plenty of room in the third row to be comfortable though. Those seats can also recline a bit.
2015 Kia Sedona – Looking Forward to 2016
As far as power, handling, comfort, and space, the 2015 Kia Sedona is excellent. For 4-5 passengers, this vehicle works out fine. Carrying more than that on a regular basis becomes more challenging, which shouldn’t be the case on a multi-purpose vehicle like this. I’m hoping that future models will address this.
